iMac OS X and a MS convert (maybe)

[porthole]

i have thrown in the towel and ordered a Mac

After way to many frustrating years using PC's and seeing how well my "I" devices work (pods, pads and phones) I decided to make the switch.

For starters I'm looking for advice in setting up with boot camp and Parallels so I can still use Win 7.

Suggestions for the Win 7 partition size?
Will that partition also be the storage area for any Win X programs that are installed?

I'm guessing file storage really doesn't matter as long as the OS's can look at each others file structure - Am I right with that line of thinking?

I'm not sure of how the licensing and installation works with the boot partition.
From what I read, Win X in the boot camp partition will also allow Parallels to access that OS. But, If the OS is loaded into Parallels as an addition there is suppose to be a performance improvement.

Yes - no? Wouldn't that require a separate user license?

 

[TXTiger]

Its all Greek to me. I switched over to a Mac last year. The Apple Store took my old laptop and transferred everything to my Mac. No problems. As far as an answer to your questions, I haven't a clue what you are talking about, thats why I use a Mac. Much more user friendly than a PC, lol lol lol.

 

[stevenssr]

Welcome to the Apple camp! I had every intention of using Parallels and boot camp and found I really didn't need them. Just took a little getting use to the Apple environment. For example, I hung onto Outlook for awhile and found that Apple Mail and Calendar work just fine. Now I don't need Outlook. I've really only run into one thing that I wish I had Windows for. I can log into my work network from home just fine, but the remote desktop requires Windows. I just borrow my son's Windows laptop when I need to do that. Everything else is all good! Good luck!!!

 

[scottyb]

Welcome to the Apple camp! I had every intention of using Parallels and boot camp and found I really didn't need them. Just took a little getting use to the Apple environment. For example, I hung onto Outlook for awhile and found that Apple Mail and Calendar work just fine. Now I don't need Outlook. I've really only run into one thing that I wish I had Windows for. I can log into my work network from home just fine, but the remote desktop requires Windows. I just borrow my son's Windows laptop when I need to do that. Everything else is all good! Good luck!!!

I jumped into a Mac 4 years ago and have never looked back. My less than 1 year old Windows 7 computer at work crashed more the 1st 3 mo than my iMac has in 4 years. However, I do use remote desktop for my iMac to my Windows 7 at the office every day and visa versa, using Team Viewer. It shows the other computer as if it were another drive. I can transfer files from one to the other too. The only down side I have seen using a Mac is available software. For instance, Quicken for Mac is just a shell of what it is for Windows, and about 10 years behind. On the upside, I have never had any anti-virus software on the Mac.

 

[VKTalley]

i have thrown in the towel and ordered a Mac

After way to many frustrating years using PC's and seeing how well my "I" devices work (pods, pads and phones) I decided to make the switch.

For starters I'm looking for advice in setting up with boot camp and Parallels so I can still use Win 7.

Suggestions for the Win 7 partition size?
Will that partition also be the storage area for any Win X programs that are installed?

I'm guessing file storage really doesn't matter as long as the OS's can look at each others file structure - Am I right with that line of thinking?

I'm not sure of how the licensing and installation works with the boot partition.
From what I read, Win X in the boot camp partition will also allow Parallels to access that OS. But, If the OS is loaded into Parallels as an addition there is suppose to be a performance improvement.

Yes - no? Wouldn't that require a separate user license?

Duane, message Malcolm (MCT) as he does programming work for a windows based systems, sometimes via his MacBook. He can probably help you sort all these things out. Like Tony (TwoToes) said....it's all Greek to me...though I've been married to Malcolm for almost 28 years now. You'd think id know more about computers than I do. hope this and the other responses help you.

 

[MCTalley]

Skip Bootcamp and just install Parallels. I use my MacBook for work which involves Windows development as well as for some side/contract development.

Parallels lets you run in Coherence mode which pretty seamlessly allows you to run individual Windows programs as if they were Mac programs. However, it still has to "boot up" Windows in the background. I typically run Windows in its own window, just because.

Data sharing is pretty much seamless. Your Mac data shows up in Windows as a shared drive.

Parallels has a utility that will make a clone of an existing Windows machine and let you open and run it in Parallels. That is handy if you are switching away from an existing Windows machine and don't want to lose data or installed programs. Note that a couple weeks in, however, Windows 7 on your Mac will start to not so gently hint that you appear to be using a not-so-legal copy of Windows and may refuse to eventually boot up. On the other hand, Microsoft lets you get straight by buying a new license online at a fairly good discount over buying a new installation disc.

If you decide on the fresh install route, head to Amazon and look for the "system builder" version of Windows 7. It runs about 1/2 the cost of the retail version. Legally, you are "building a system" by installing windows on a virtual machine. (Parallels)

Give me me a shout if you have any questions.

 

[porthole]

For example, I hung onto Outlook for awhile and found that Apple Mail and Calendar work just fine. Now I don't need Outlook.

I've really only run into one thing that I wish I had Windows for.

Been using Outlook forever..................... And I have a fair share of programs that there is no Mac equivalent, so I still need my Windows.
Enough so that I am replacing the hard drive on my current Win 7 Pro laptop with a SSD and maxing out the memory to 8 GB. Hopefully that will eliminate the 10 minute boot up.

Duane, message Malcolm (MCT)

Check

I jumped into a Mac 4 years ago and have never looked back.

I hear that so many times.

However, I do use remote desktop for my iMac to my Windows 7 at the office every day and visa versa, using Team Viewer. It shows the other computer as if it were another drive. I can transfer files from one to the other too.

This it?

http://www.teamviewer.com/en/index.aspx

The only down side I have seen using a Mac is available software. For instance, Quicken for Mac is just a shell of what it is for Windows, and about 10 years behind.

I have been using Quicken, Quickbooks and TurboTax since the first versions. Quicken and TTax were DOS back then!

On the upside, I have never had any anti-virus software on the Mac.

Only a matter of time. With the latest security issued possibly have been distributed from the OS X environment.

 

[porthole]

Skip Bootcamp and just install Parallels.

My concern with that is the copy of Win 7 Pro I ended up with is "intended for distribution with a refurbished PC" I figured on the Boot Camp partition would not be a problem. But the instructions with the software say it can't be installed from within another OS.

Parallels has a utility that will make a clone of an existing Windows machine and let you open and run it in Parallels. That is handy if you are switching away from an existing Windows machine and don't want to lose data or installed programs. Note that a couple weeks in, however, Windows 7 on your Mac will start to not so gently hint that you appear to be using a not-so-legal copy of Windows and may refuse to eventually boot up. On the other hand, Microsoft lets you get straight by buying a new license online at a fairly good discount over buying a new installation disc.

Besides my desktop PC being agonizing slow and with it's own issues, part of my reason for change is my laptop is constantly crashing now with some problem that is very difficult to track down (it boots to windows then within 1 minute shuts down).
So I am replacing the hard drive with a SSD unit and doing a clean install.

"Hopefully" I am doing a clean install. My laptop came without any software discs (Win 7 Home) and I did an upgrade immediately to Win 7 Pro, so I have no original installation discs, only the upgrade .............................

 

[jbeletti]

I have one Windows box at home and I control it from my Mac using RealVNC. From my local LAN, works pretty good. Can even get in from off-site if you're okay with forwarding the VNC ports on your router.

 

[porthole]

I have one Windows box at home and I control it from my Mac using RealVNC. From my local LAN, works pretty good. Can even get in from off-site if you're okay with forwarding the VNC ports on your router.

Jim - I don't even know what that means .....................

 

[travis_g]

<soapbox>Been running only MS stuff so CE DOS 3.2 here. My Windows 8 machine has been running since the day it came out and has never crashed. I believe this has something to do with paying $1700 for it instead of $399. Apple makes great hardware and so do dell and hp. But don't knock Windows for behaving badly on cheap hardware. </soapbox>

Sent from my Lumia 920 using Tapatalk

 

[porthole]

<soapbox>Been running only MS stuff so CE DOS 3.2 here. My Windows 8 machine has been running since the day it came out and has never crashed. I believe this has something to do with paying $1700 for it instead of $399. Apple makes great hardware and so do dell and hp. But don't knock Windows for behaving badly on cheap hardware. </soapbox>

Sent from my Lumia 920 using Tapatalk

None of the hardware I have is cheap, computers or otherwise

 

[yport]

Welcome to the MAC world ... I have had a Mac since the Apple //c's ... as a banker was forced to use PC's on my desk at work for years and tore my hair out so many times over the frustrating PC environment compared to my at home MAC. MAC are pricier indeed .... but can never beat the operating system and simplicity of it once you get comfortable with navigating your way around. Steve Jobs was a genius that did sooo much for our techy world.

Teamviewer is good ... I previously used Quicken for Mac until the new operating system didn't support it. Reluctantly and cautiously switched to iBank ... LOVE IT ... and quick syncs to iPhone and iPad as needed.

 

[ziggy]

iBank does everything that most people need to do. I think that people who need more than iBank probably run Quickbooks. Syncing is so slick! I have no regrets with the switch.

Kristy

BTW Welcome to the Mac side of the universe. I'm forced to use Win7 at work, but I won't give up my Mac at home. I installed Parallels on my last computer and found that I never really needed it.

 

[scottyb]

Only a matter of time. With the latest security issued possibly have been distributed from the OS X environment.

I suppose your right and it will probably eventually catch up to me, but I've been hearing that for 4 years too.

iBank does everything that most people need to do. I think that people who need more than iBank probably run Quickbooks. Syncing is so slick! I have no regrets with the switch.

That's good to hear. I used QW for 15 years and was very disappointed with QMac. I probably fit your category of only needing the basics such as basic accounting and syncing with my bank, etc.

 

[MCTalley]

On a related note, and this applies to all us full-timers using cellular data plans, be careful for the following gotchas with Macs (running the latest OSX, Mavericks):

1. By default, the option to automatically download updates to programs is turned on. You can turn it off in System Preferences/App Store.
2. Even if you have the check for updates and automatically download updates turned off in preferences, your system still goes out and checks occasionally for updates (I have a network monitor that alerts me to that fact).
3. If you open the App Store app and there are pending updates, it WILL automatically start downloading them even if you have automatic update downloading turned off. (I verified this on the Internet after wondering why my computer was sucking down data).

I dabble with iOS programming and have the Xcode environment installed on my Mac. Whenever there is an update, it is usually a couple gigabytes download. One can imagine the hit this takes on our data plan. (Not to mention recently when Apple decided to release updates for all their productivity software - another 3 gigs of data).

My modus operandi now is to wait until I'm on wi-fi somewhere, then open the App Store app and let it check for, download and install updates if needed.

 

[simsfmly]

I previously used Quicken for Mac until the new operating system didn't support it. Reluctantly and cautiously switched to iBank ... LOVE IT ... and quick syncs to iPhone and iPad as needed.

Been an Apple user since 1987. Still remember upgrading from 64k to 128k and what a big deal that was!

I would say that you REALLY must be in love with some of those Windows programs to keep beating your brains out trying to use Windows vs. Mac OSX. We used Parallels on the last OS, but decided when we upgraded we don't use it enough (mostly on supplier's websites).

I'm glad to hear that iBank is good, but Quicken still works on the new OSX. (and not that 'essentials' garbage).

 

[d_fergie]

Easing into Mac's, got my first iPhone last September &bought a mini-mac a couple months ago. I haven't put parallel's on it yet but am ready to so I can run some video programs mac doesn't have on it...
So far not hard to navigate etc. I stated with Basic and Commodore's way back when. Some good info in this thread.

 

[scottyb]

I'm glad to hear that iBank is good, but Quicken still works on the new OSX. (and not that 'essentials' garbage).

Yes it does and it has been adequate at best and I have managed to get by with it. However, if you have been using Mac since 87, you are probably not up to date with Quicken for Windows. The Mac version is probably about 10% at best and probably 10 years behind the Windows version.

I haven't put parallel's on it yet but am ready to so I can run some video programs mac doesn't have on it...

I don't know if it will satisfy all your needs, but I have been using Flip 4 Mac (Free version) to play WMV and other windows based video formats. It has helped a lot.

 

[d_fergie]

Thanks, I have vlc to play videos but have some Sony products that don't have a Mac version (editing 3D from camcorder etc.).